1 Leaves opposite, reduced to scales a few mm long, clasping and appressed against the succulent stem; flowers in groups of 3, sunken into the stem; [subfamily Salicornioideae].

1 Leaves alternate, not reduced to scales; flowers not sunken into the stem.

  2 Fruit enclosed and concealed by paired accrescent bracteoles (these usually deltoid, diamond-shaped, or ovoid); [subfamily Chenopodioideae].

    3 Leaves pale green to silvery green; stigmas 2; plants without basal leaves, the stems freely and rather divergently branched; [native or introduced, primarily in saline situations]; [tribe Atripliceae]

    3 Leaves bright to dark green; stigmas 4-5; plants with basal leaves, the flowering stems erect, strict or with ascending branches in the inflorescence; [introduced, frequently cultivated as a garden vegetable, rarely escaped]; [tribe Spinacieae]

  2 Fruit enclosed by the persistent calyx.

      4 Leaves sessile, linear (linear to lanceolate in Corispermum), entire, succulent or not.

        5 Leaves spine-tipped with a sharp spine > (0.5) 1 mm long; [subfamily Salsoloideae]

        5 Leaves not spine-tipped.

          6 Leaves glabrous; [subfamily Suaedoideae]

          6 Leaves pubescent to villous; [subfamily Camphorosmoideae].

             7 Calyx segments (all 5) bearing a horizontal wing or hooked spines

             7 Calyx segments (1 lower and 2 upper) bearing stout knobs

      4 Leaves petiolate, lanceolate or wider, the larger leaves generally toothed, not succulent or only slightly so.

               8 Fruit dehiscent; ovary half-inferior; roots usually enlarged; [subfamily Betioideae]

               8 Fruit indehiscent; ovary superior; roots not enlarged; [subfamily Chenopodioideae].

                 9 Fruiting calyx winged horizontally

                 9 Fruiting calyx not winged, the lobes flat, keeled, or hooded.

                   10 Plants non-aromatic (but sometimes fetid), vesicular hairy (farinose) or glabrous.

                     11 Inflorescences in dichasial or monochasial loose cymes; plants glabrous or glabrescent

                     11 Inflorescences spicately or paniculately arranged dense glomerules with few to many flowers; plants either farinose (at least when young) or glabrous.

                       12 Stems unbranched or sparingly branched; basal leaves often forming a rosette; perianth often changed to succulent or hardened in fruit, sometimes reduced to 1 lobe; stigmas 2-4; seeds vertical in the fruit

                       12 Stem usually branched; basal leaves not in a rosette; perianth unchanged in fruit, not reduced; stigmas 2 (-3), seeds vertical and/or horizontal in the fruit.

                          13 Flowers often dimorphic, in lateral flowers perianth segments 3 (-5), seeds either vertical or horizontal in the fruit; stamens 1-3

                          13 Flowers not dimorphic, perianth segments 5, seeds exclusively horizontal in the fruit; stamens almost always 5.

                            14 Young stems and leaves not farinose (with vesicular trichomes that become totally collapsed when dry, and are caducous and therefore rarely present at maturity); perianth segments with prominent midvein visible inside; seeds distinctly pitted to sometimes rugulose or almost smooth

                            14 Young stems and leaves densely farinose (covered with vesicular globose trichomes that become cup-shaped when dry and are mostly persistent at maturity); perianth segments without prominent midvein visible inside; seeds smooth or striate and somewhat rugulose, sometimes pitted